Stay With Me
by Brightfire15
Summary: When Rogue feels she has to leave because she cannot bear seeing Logan pine after Jean any longer, Logan will have to persuade her to stay at the School and more importantly, with him. Read and Review!


Stay With Me

Disclaimer: I do not own _X-Men_

Rogue, a young member of the X-Men was packing her things. She'd decided she couldn't stand it any longer and had to leave the School and the X-Men. She couldn't stand being the only person in the school with a deadly touch and she couldn't bear seeing Logan, the man she cared for, pine after Jean any longer.

She'd told the Professor she was leaving and couldn't be persuaded to do otherwise. The Professor had reluctantly allowed her to go without argument, but warned her that she would be greatly missed, especially by Logan. She'd just shaken her head at that. To him, she was just a friend, a little girl he'd made a promise to, nothing more.

It was hurting her inside to know she'd never be anything beyond a friend or obligation to Logan. She wanted to be something more, but she didn't believe he cared about her like that. He loved Jean, not her. As much as she wanted him, as much as she saw him as her hero, she knew she couldn't be with him.

As she finished her packing, she paused as she felt Logan's dog tags on her neck. He'd never asked for them back and she'd forgotten to return them. Should she keep them or just leave them for him to find? She sighed and put them on her bedside table as she slung her bag over her shoulder and headed out.

If things had been different, would she be with Logan right now? Would he be hers and would she belong to him? Heaven alone knew. But she didn't want to dwell on it. She'd just put her bags in her car when a voice said, "Where are you going?"

Rogue sighed and turned around. "Canada," she said. "Maybe Alaska. I haven't decided yet."

"I see," said Logan. He held up his tags and didn't look pleased. "So, you were going to just leave without a word, weren't you?"

"I didn't think it would matter," she said. "It's not like anyone around here would miss me anyway."

Logan let a growl and grabbed her shoulders. "That's a load of crap and you know it!" he said.

"Let go of me, Logan!" she said, as she yanked herself free of him. "I'm not the same girl that you picked up on the highway. I'm different now."

"No, you're not. You're still you."

Rogue sighed. "Logan, you don't have to protect me anymore."

Logan shook his head. "Yeah, I do, kid. You're making a huge mistake. _I'd _miss you if you left."

Rogue's eyes stung with tears as she shook her head. "No, you wouldn't."

"Actually, I would. I'd miss you a lot." He sighed. "Kid, this isn't like you. What is going on? Is this about some boy?"

Rogue forced herself to turn away from his eyes and swallowed painfully as she pulled out her keys. "Nothing. I've just got to go. I've got places to be."

"Stop it, Marie," said Logan, sternly. "Running away isn't going to fix your problems. It'll make it worse. Trust me, I know."

"No, Logan, you don't," she retorted. "How do you know what's it's like to know that you can never get close to someone without running the risk of killing them? How would you know what it's like to see the person that you love the most pine after another and stand silent because you know they'll never want you? You don't know what it's like, Logan!"

"Yeah, I do," said Logan. "And I also know that if you leave, I've got no reason to stick around. I've got nothing here except for you."

Rogue was silent and tears were streaming down her face at this point, and Logan quietly took her into his arms and held her close. After a few minutes, she pulled away. She'd wanted to be close to him ever since they'd met, but not like this.

"I can't do this," she said. "I have to go, Logan."

"Why?" he demanded. "Why can't you stay? Tell me."

Rogue sighed again and whispered so softly that Logan almost didn't hear her. "Because I can't watch you pine after Jean when I love you so much," she said.

She was caught off-guard when Logan suddenly pulled her in close and quickly wiped her tears away with the pads of his thumbs.

"Did you ever think that maybe I wanted you too?" he whispered, before kissing her soundly on the lips.

Rogue returned the kiss for a moment, but then yanked away. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Why'd you do that?"

"Because I love you," he said. "You're not going to hurt me, Marie. I've got a little immunity to your power. You won't drain me unless I want you to. And another thing, I was only flirting with Jean because I thought I couldn't have you."

"You _what?_" said Rogue, shocked. "Oh, you idiot. You stupid, brainless idiot!"

Before Logan could say anything, she was kissing him with a fierce passion that he returned. When they finally broke apart for air, Rogue knew she wouldn't be leaving.

"Stay with me," Logan whispered. "Please. I love you."

"Don't worry, I will," she said. "I love you too."

They kissed each other again and took her things back to her room. They weren't going to be parted anytime soon.

**The End. **


End file.
